After Ayers Turns Down Chief of Staff Job, Trump Is Left Without a Plan B  —  WASHINGTON — President Trump has often bragged about having his pick of only the best people to serve in his administration.  —  Being publicly rejected by his first choice for chief of staff …

Maria Butina, accused Russian agent, reaches plea deal with prosecutors that includes cooperation  —  Maria Butina, a 30-year-old Russian gun rights activist who stands accused developing a covert influence operation in the United States, has agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy and cooperate with federal …

We are former senators.  The Senate has long stood in defense of democracy — and must again.  —  By 44 Former U.S. Senators  —  As former members of the U.S. Senate, Democrats and Republicans, it is our shared view that we are entering a dangerous period, and we feel an obligation to speak …

Targets of U.S. Sanctions Hire Lobbyists With Trump Ties to Seek Relief  —  WASHINGTON — On a July evening, Trump administration officials and allies, including the president's personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, gathered with investors atop the Hay-Adams hotel overlooking the White House …

Jared Kushner did what?  —  The New York Times reports: … As a preliminary matter, we should recognize this as yet another example of why a president should not put a relative in a position of power — especially if the relative possesses questionable judgment and is utterly unqualified for the job.

In an email to Tablet the Women's March wrote: … But whatever concerns were popping up were ultimately no match for the steamroller of the event's progress.  And when the day came, the reality far exceeded expectations.  Estimates for the March on Washington range between half a million …

Sources: Dan Bongino Out at NRATV  —  Trump loves the guy.  But the gun rights group is downsizing its media operation and his show appears to be a casualty of those plans.  —  The National Rifle Association's media arm has dropped pro-Trump firebrand Dan Bongino from its lineup …

Epstein sex abuse victims press judge for decision on tossing his lenient plea deal  —  Victims of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who have waged a decade-long fight for justice, on Monday pressed a federal judge to finally take action on their motion to throw out a controversial plea agreement …

Academy Looks Warily at Oscar Host Options As Board Meeting Looms  —  Kevin Hart's abrupt departure as Oscars host has left the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts & Sciences scrambling to find someone to take the gig.  As of now, the situation remains fluid as the group's leadership explores options …

Establishment looks to crush liberals on Medicare for All  —  The united front that helped Democrats save Obamacare just a year ago is falling apart over single-payer health care.  —  Deep-pocketed hospital, insurance and other lobbies are plotting to crush progressives' hopes of expanding …

An insane amount of people turned out to vote in the midterm elections  —  (CNN)President Donald Trump solved a problem that no other president before him could: Getting people to vote in a midterm election.  —  Whether they were voting for or against his agenda, it is now clear that voters turned out in record numbers in 2018.

Hateful conspiracies thrive on YouTube, despite pledge to clean up ‘problematic’ videos  —  A year after YouTube's chief executive promised to curb “problematic” videos, it continues to harbor and even recommend hateful, conspiratorial videos, allowing racists, anti-Semites and proponents …

Harvard law professor issues scathing takedown of DOJ policy that bars prosecutors from indicting a sitting president  —  This Harvard law professor believes Trump can be indicted and should be.  —  Laurence Tribe  —  Laurence Tribe is a constitutional law professor at Harvard Law School.

Thousands of mailed ballots in Florida were not counted  —  TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida officials say thousands of mailed ballots were not counted because they were delivered too late to state election offices.  —  The Department of State late last week informed a federal judge …

A Former Trump Campaign Staffer Was Ordered To Pay $25,000 For Violating Her Nondisclosure Agreement  —  WASHINGTON — Jessica Denson, a former staffer for President Donald Trump's campaign, is fighting an order to pay nearly $25,000 for violating a nondisclosure agreement, according to court papers.

Why ‘No Hate Here’ signs are actually pretty hateful  —  My walks with my dog take me to a quiet off-street, with middle-class houses made expensive because they're inside the Beltway.  Their owners are mostly youngish attorneys who work as assistant-deputy-director-somethings in some government department or other.

Talk About Pizzagate  —  The former Clinton campaign chairman is among the victims still recovering from a vile conspiracy theory that ended in gunfire  —  WASHINGTON — John Podesta has given it a lot of thought and believes the best way to deal with the trolls is to ignore them.

Harvard Quietly Amasses California Vineyards—and the Water Underneath  —  Making a bet on climate change, the university's $39 billion endowment has been snapping up farmland and the related water rights  —  SHANDON, Calif.—Steve Sinton, a rancher, was baffled when a company he'd never heard …

Hundreds of sex abuse allegations found in fundamental Baptist churches across U.S.  —  Joy Evans Ryder was 15 years old when she says her church youth director pinned her to his office floor and raped her.  —  “It's OK.  It's OK,” he told her.  “You don't have to be afraid of anything.”

With Power Grabs in the Midwest, G.O.P. Risks a 2020 Backlash  — The party, which lost four key governorships in the Midwest, depends on its gerrymandered districts in the region for a trove of seats in Congress and legislatures.  — The Republicans' post-election legislative maneuvers …